Class 3A, District 4: 2014 football preview

Tampa Catholic’s Nate Craig, catching a pass in practice, is the big name for the Crusaders, who ran through the district undefeated last season on their way to the state semifinals.

Fall football practices for Tampa Bay football teams officially kicked off this week. We're rolling out daily district previews for all 78 varsity teams in the area. Today we look at a mixed Hillsborough-Polk County district, Class 3A-4.

Berkeley Prep coach Dominick Ciao thinks his district is the toughest in Class 3A, and by the looks of things he might be right. Tampa Catholic ran the table last season, winning all five district matchups. The middle four teams all finished 2-3 or 3-2, and with no clear-cut second-best team, the second playoff spot came down to a tiebreaker between Frostproof and Fort Meade. Now that last-place Bishop McLaughlin opted to become independent, expect the five-team district to be even more competitive. All five squads have at least one Division I prospect, and Fort Meade, arguably the least stacked, is led by highly regarded coach Jermalle Cornelius, whose team missed the playoffs for the first time in years last season. The closer playoff time gets, the more fun 3A-4 should be to watch.

The favorite

Tampa Catholic lost some big playmakers, but it appears the Crusaders have done a good job of training young guys to take over. Add one of Tampa Bay's best players, and the Crusaders should have the talent to take another crack at a championship run. "For the young guys especially, I think they learned what it takes," TC coach Mike Gregory said of last season's run to the state semifinals. "They learned how to focus and how to prepare for teams of higher caliber you see in the playoffs."

Next in line

If anyone can challenge the Crusaders' top spot, it's the Vikings. With fifth-year quarterback Christian Alexander, UCLA-bound running back T.J. Simmons and help from Winter Haven transfer Keland White on the ground, Lakeland Christian should be a playoff team, if not the district champ.

Sleeper

Berkeley finished near the bottom of the pack last season, but expect a turnaround and fight for a playoff spot. Quarterback Brad Mayes has improved in the offseason, and if he can keep Berkeley Prep strong down the stretch — when the Bucs struggled the most last year — things could get interesting in this competitive district.

Important numbers

4 Players from Tampa Catholic's 2013 state semifinalist team now on Division I rosters.

36 Sacks tallied by Tampa Catholic a year ago, most in the district. Junior Malik Barrow was responsible for 13 of those.

60.2 District-leading tackles per game by Berkeley Prep. Joe Schiano and his 8.9 per game are back to head up the defense.

QB Christian Alexander, Sr., Lakeland Christian: This Florida International commit has started every year since eighth grade. A stat for opposing defenses: He was intercepted only four times last year in 206 attempts.

WR Nate Craig, Jr., Tampa Catholic: One of the nation's top 2016 recruits and a recent Auburn commit, Craig's ability to make jaw-dropping receptions should be a big help to the Crusaders, provided they have a quarterback that can get him the ball.

DB Kaleel Gaines, Sr., Frostproof: The recent Michigan State commit comes from a family of good athletes, and he'll be joined this season by brother D'angelo — a running back who recorded more than 1,000 yards for Winter Haven last season.

WR Jacob Mathis, Jr., Berkeley Prep: Mathis led the Bucs in receiving yards (330) last season, and with a quarterback who has another year under his belt, the two could put on a show.

RB TJ Simmons, Sr., Lakeland Christian: The UCLA commit had more than 1,200 yards rushing last season. Now that he's joining forces with White, Simmons could get away with a whole lot more.

Mark your calendar

Berkeley Prep at Lakeland Christian, Sept. 18: For a Berkeley Prep team that lost three district games by the skin of its teeth, every 3A-4 game will be big for the Bucs. A rematch with Lakeland Christian in Week 4, though, might be the biggest. The Bucs led by a touchdown at halftime last season before letting the Vikings tie it at the end of regulation. And in what began a trend of close losses, Berkeley Prep fell 27-24 in double overtime.

Returning leaders

Rushing yards: Lakeland Christian's TJ Simmons, 1,257

Rushing TDs: Simmons, 11

Passing yards: Lakeland Christian's Christian Alexander, 1,865

Passing TDs: Christian, 22

Receiving yards: Lakeland Christian's RB Marlow, 571

Receiving TDs: Marlow, 8

Tackles: Tampa Catholic's Cody Endris, 83

Sacks: Tampa Catholic's Malik Barrow, 13

Interceptions: Endris, 4

Predicted order of finish

Ranked by the Winter Haven News Chief's Bill Kemp

1. Lakeland Christian

2. Tampa Catholic

3. Frostproof

4. Fort Meade

5. Berkeley Prep

Final word

"Right now as I see it, Berkeley Prep is probably the best team in our district as it stands." — Tampa Catholic coach Mike Gregory

More football online

Want to know more about these teams? Catch up on previous installments? We've got individual previews chock full of players to watch, schedules and more. Check out tampabay.com/hometeam.